High cholesterol sufferers are being advised that cutting three types of drink out could see a major improvement. According to scientific advice, there are certain beverages which can raise harmful levels/

These include drinks containing cream, high-fat milk, coconut or palm oils, and some coffee or tea preparations can contribute to higher cholesterol. Heavy drinking can also increase LDL (bad) cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.

High cholesterol can lead to serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease because it causes fatty deposits (plaques) to build up in arteries, narrowing them and restricting blood flow. This can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and even sudden cardiac arrest.

Sugary drinks:

Studies show that sugary beverages can increase cholesterol levels and reduce HDL (good) cholesterol. In 2020 a study found that adults who drink at least one sugary beverage, when compared with those who don’t, have a greater risk for developing dyslipidemia, or higher levels of unhealthy fats (like LDL cholesterol or triglycerides), which can increase the risk of heart disease.

Dr Mark Peterman an interventional cardiologist at Texas Health Plano said “Dyslipidemia is just when your cholesterol numbers are not within the normal range, so it can be a variety of things. The most concerning is elevated LDL, or bad cholesterol,” r eported healthline.

Data from almost 6,000 people, middle-aged or older and of European descent, were analyzed over an average of 12 years. The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Study author Danielle Haslam said: “We were very interested in how consumption of different types of beverages may contribute to changes in blood lipids. There is evidence from other observational studies that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to greater cardiovascular disease risk.”

Researchers found that middle-aged and older adults who drank sugary beverages daily were at greater risk for developing abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared with those who rarely drank those beverages .Sugary beverage drinkers had a 98 percent higher chance of developing low HDL (good) cholesterol and a 53 percent higher chance of developing high triglycerides, according to the study.

Dr Peterman said. “Cholesterol is one of the most important risk factors for atherosclerosis and heart attack and stroke. Managing your cholesterol is extremely important, and at least once a year checkups are vital for keeping on top of it.”

Excessive Alcohol Consumption:

Consuming excessive alcohol, including hard liquor, beer, and mixed drinks, can negatively impact cholesterol levels, particularly raising triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. When alcohol is metabolised, it’s converted into triglycerides, which can increase cholesterol levels and lead to a buildup of fat in the liver.

Heart UK said

• it can lead to weight gain, raising your risk of heart disease
• it can raise your blood pressure, which also raises your risk of heart disease
• it can lead to some types of cancer, liver disease, pancreatitis, depression and dependency.

Espresso drinks

A study published in 2018 tracked how much coffee people 18 to 24 drank in the course of a week and compared it to their cholesterol levels. The researchers found that the more espresso-based drinks the participants drank, the higher their cholesterol. Espresso is brewed by having hot water shot directly into fine coffee grounds, rather than dripping slowly through a filter the way most household coffee makers do it. The result is coffee that has higher levels of the two cholesterol-raising compounds. Other similar methods where grinds and water come in direct contact include boiled coffee, coffee made from French-presses, Turkish coffee, and the increasingly popular pour-over method.

In 2022 the Arctic University of Norway carried out a test where more than 20,000 people, aged 40 or older, took part in astudy on coffee and cholesterol.

Women in the study averaged just under four cups a day, while men drank close to five. Compared with those who did not drink any coffee, female coffee drinkers had 0.09 mmol/l higher cholesterol levels in the blood, while the cholesterol levels increased by 0.16 mmol/l in men. Male coffee drinkers had nearly twice as high levels as the women.

Maja-Lisa Løchen, professor of preventive medicine at UiT. said: “We found that drinking 3-5 cups of espresso daily led to increased cholesterol levels, especially for men.”